Author's Note: I just wanted to remind everyone that I don't know much about the Japanese language. (Just a few words that I picked up here and there.) Therefore, I'm not going to include the –chan, -kun, -san, etc. at the end of everyone's name because I know I'd end up doing it wrong. However, if anyone would ever like to tell me how to use the endings attached to people's names, I'd love to learn more about it. But for now, first names only. Also, a lot of Japanese I use in the fic is probably wrong, so feel free to correct me. (I'm just a poor American girl living off of poorly dubbed North-American anime! Help!) Anyway, enjoy the fic!

"Ohayo!" she quipped as she ran out the front door and slammed it shut.

A few moments of silence fell over the two left in the house as Fujitaka peered over his newspaper and Touya finished chewing the bite he had taken as Sakura had tumbled down the stairs just seconds before.

"Did you see something?" asked Fujitaka.

"Just a kaijuu," muttered Touya.

Somewhere in the distance a little voice shouted, "SAKURA IS NOT A KAIJUU!"

Breakdown

By: Shayna

Faster! FASTER! Run, Sakura. Run! Hoe! I'm gonna be late if I don't pick up the pace! thought Sakura as she made a mad dash for the school. As it came into view, she glanced quickly at her watch. Phew. Made it with 5 minutes to spare. She slowed her pace to a brisk walk and continued on her way. She entered the building and made her way to her classroom while smoothing out the wrinkles in her uniform and straightening her hair.

Li Syaoran's senses suddenly flared to life as he felt her rapidly approaching the school. He smirked, wondering how she managed to get to school on time everyday.

"Syaoran…SYAORAN!" He jumped noticeably after being snapped from his little reverie.

"Must you be so loud, Daidouji?" he asked.

"Only when you're so far from Earth," she responded. "So, is she coming?" He blushed lightly at the comment.

"Running late, as usual," he replied.

~~~

"Breathe, Sakura. Breathe. You're cool. Calm. Composed," she whispered under her breath, prepping herself before she walked through the doorway.

"Ohayo minna!" she exclaimed with a smile as she entered the classroom abuzz with chatter. Scattered "Ohayo's" came from her classmates as she made her way to her desk and plopped her briefcase on the floor beside her.

"Good morning, Sakura," answered Tomoyo in a cheery tone. Sakura smiled at her in acknowledgement. She turned around in her seat and opened her mouth to say something, but when she looked up, she was met with the deepest pair of amber eyes. She froze just like that, with her mouth slightly open, as those eyes seemed to bore straight through her, reaching her very soul. She would never be able to describe the feeling she got when those eyes pierced through hers, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Good morning, Sakura," he said. She felt a little light-headed and forced herself to tear her eyes away from his for a moment to regain her composure.

"Good morning, Syaoran," she replied with a smile.

~~~

That smile…He was sure that smile could bring upon his downfall. He was certain that no man could live a worthwhile life without seeing that smile at least once. And wasn't he lucky? He got to see it at least once everyday. No matter how hard he tried to control himself, that smile always made his face burn.

Just then, the bell rang, and Sakura turned back around as the teacher walked in.

"Good morning, class. Today, we'll begin with Algebra."

Syaoran couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Sakura groaned noticeably at the word "algebra."

~~~

Somehow, Sakura managed to survive until lunchtime finally rolled around. She was more than thankful to have this small amount of time to sit and giggle with all of her friends.

"Sometimes I just can't stand school!" exclaimed Sakura, plopping down next to Tomoyo.

"I completely know how you feel," replied Naoko. "I especially hate History. I mean, why do I care about a bunch of dead people?"

"Speaking of which," began Tomoyo, "how are you guys coming along on your reports?"

"Reports?" questioned Sakura.

"You know, the ones that are due tomorrow?" answered Chiharu. Sakura's eyes bugged out.

"HOEEE! I totally forgot that they were due this week!" She sighed. "Looks like I'm gonna be pulling an all-nighter. Not only that, but I have cheerleading practice today!"

"I'm sure you'll get it finished, Sakura," assured Tomoyo. Sakura merely sighed again. How did she manage to get herself into these situations?

~~~

The remainder of school passed by uneventfully, and Sakura soon found herself at her locker, piling books into her briefcase and grabbing her gym bag. She couldn't help but smile thinking about cheerleading. It was something that she absolutely loved to do, and it helped to keep her mind off of her troubles. Of course, she couldn't shake the horrible feeling of the report that she would spend all night writing, but for now, those things would have to wait. Besides, the soccer players were always out there while they practiced, and they made for much more interesting thoughts. She blushed just thinking about a certain auburn-haired soccer team captain.

Syaoran was already practicing with his team when the cheerleaders made their way out to the field. His eyes couldn't help but pick Sakura out from the crowd of jabbering girls. Their auras were naturally drawn to each other. Just then her eyes met his from across the field, and for a brief moment, everything around them seemed to vanish. No noise could be heard as they stood still, just watching each other. But all good things must come to an end, and as Sakura flashed him a brilliant smile, he only had the chance to curve his lips up ever so slightly before he turned back to the drill that they were working on. That smile…Twice in one day, he thought.

Sakura watched him resume his drills, her eyes lingering on him just a while longer. She got that same feeling every time she looked at him, and it sent another shiver down her spine. Those eyes…Twice in one day, she thought.

Sakura had, at first, thought that her unique bond to Syaoran was weird and even a little scary. But as the years went by and their friendship grew stronger, she began feeling comforted by the ability to feel him before she could even see him. The more time that passed, the stronger his aura felt to her, and now she could feel him dimly in the back of her mind no matter how far away from him she was. When she thought about it now, she couldn't begin to imagine the absence of that feeling, and was thankful just to know that he was there.

Her thoughts quickly went back to her cheerleading squad, and she began her daily duties as captain to stretch and warm-up the team before rehearsing their routine.

~~~

Sakura arrived home a few hours later to an empty house. She was exhausted from her long day, and she was dreading her history report. Upon entering the kitchen, she found a note from her father on the fridge:

Sakura-

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye this morning, but you were in a rush. I figured you had probably forgotten that I was leaving on an excavation today, but I will call you in the next few days to make sure that you're okay. Also, Yukito came by with last-minute concert tickets to a show out of town, so Touya packed his stuff and they left earlier this morning. It's a really long drive, so they will probably be gone for about a week. Sorry that you're on your own for so long, but I trust that you'll survive without burning the house down. Remember, no parties! I left some money for groceries and such in an envelope on the table. Please don't buy too much junk food. I love you very much and will talk to you soon.

Sakura sighed. She had completely forgotten about her otou-san's excavation. Well, at least Onii-chan wouldn't be around to bug her. Still, the last thing she wanted to do was make dinner for herself. Nonetheless, she knew she had to eat, so she rummaged through the fridge and found some ingredients for a quick meatloaf. She cringed at the very thought of meatloaf, but it was the best she could do for right now.

She whipped the stuff together and shoved it in the oven. She then headed upstairs to start her report. She sighed again. When she entered her room, she was met with the beady eyes of a hungry guardian beast.

"Where have you been! I'm starving here!" Sakura sweat-dropped. Typical, she thought.

"Kero, you know I have cheerleading practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays! Besides, I haven't eaten anything yet, either. You're just going to have to be patient." She proceeded to shuffle around her room, gathering pencils and paper to assist her in taking notes. She booted up her computer.

"By the way, Onii-chan and Otou-san will be gone for about a week or so, so we're on our own, and you can come out of my room during the day. Also, I popped a meatloaf in the oven for dinner."

"Meatloaf!?!" Kero groaned. "What about dessert?" With that comment, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around, staring at him with a face that could have terrified Clow Reed himself.

"You know what, Kero?" she started, suppressing her anger by balling up her fists. "I don't have time to make dessert right now! There are more important things than dessert! But if you would like some dessert, then you can haul your lazy butt down to the kitchen and make some of your own! Right now, I've got a HUGE report to write for tomorrow, and I haven't even started it yet! So please, just BE QUIET and let me work!"

At this point, her knuckles were white, and she was glaring at him with eyes colder than The Freeze card. He could swear that steam was coming out if her ears, but he wouldn't dare say anything to her at this point. Wow, he thought, I've never seen her this upset before. I have a feeling something else is bothering her other than this report. The wise guardian beast decided that the safest thing for him to do at the moment was to give Sakura some space and consult someone who might know what was really going on with his mistress.

"I'll be at Tomoyo's house," he muttered quickly. He then flew out the window before she could respond. As she watched him go, Sakura sighed, slightly sorry that she had run Kero off like that, but he was just asking for it, she thought. Oh well. She logged onto the Internet to do some research on (insert famous Japanese person of historical significance here) who she had been assigned to write her report about.

~~~

About an hour and a half later, she had over two whole pages of notes (front and back) about some person she could care less about. However, she was thankful that she had found all of this information in such a short amount of time. Thank Kami-sama for the invention of the Internet, she thought. Suddenly, she began sniffing the air. What's that smell…HOEEE! Her eyes bugged out at the realization, and she bolted down the stairs quicker than The Shot card.

Smoke was seeping from the sides of the oven as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed the potholders and opened it up. Billows of smoke emerged from the oven. She coughed from the inhalation, but tried to breathe in as little as possible. She dropped the hot pot into the sink and opened up some windows, fanning the smoke out with a dishtowel.

The smoke slowly dissipated from the room, clearing Sakura's view of her meatloaf. It was burnt beyond recognition. Still, she grabbed a spatula and tried to pry it from the pan. It wouldn't budge. How could I be so stupid!?! she scolded herself. Her eyes began to water slightly. What kind of an idiot doesn't put the timer on?!? She was screaming at herself as she felt a hot tear slowly trickle down her face. Don't be a baby, Sakura! STOP CRYING! The more she yelled at herself, the more the tears came. She couldn't believe that she was getting so worked up over something so insignificant. That thought just made everything worse. Just then, the smoke alarm went off.

She could have just died at the irony of it all, but instead, she felt enraged, and with all her strength, she chucked the spatula at the smoke alarm, breaking it in half. The two pieces scattered across the kitchen as she fell to her knees and began to sob into her hands.

~~~

In another part of Tomoeda, Li Syaoran was practicing with his sword, as he did daily, when he suddenly fell to his knees and dropped his sword onto the floor with a resounding clang. Pain shot all up and down his body. He felt like he couldn't move. Now, Syaoran could take an inhuman amount of pain, but this was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was as though his whole body was paralyzed from an extreme emotion. It actually scared him. And Syaoran hardly ever got scared. In fact, the only time he ever got scared was when he thought that Sakura might be in danger. And that was exactly what he felt at that instant.

Right then, Syaoran felt Sakura's aura as intensely as if she was standing right next to him in his apartment. He felt about a hundred different feelings emanating from her all at once. Anger. Sadness. Lonliness. Hopelessness. Fear. Vulnerability. It was all a big jumble, and it hit him all at once, making him feel dizzy and weak. He blinked a few times and took a few breaths, still kneeling, just to get his bearings straight. Once he recovered, he stood up and headed straight for the phone. His heart was beating like a taiko drum: loud, but incredibly fast. Without even thinking, his fingers dialed the familiar number.

~~~

Sakura heard the phone ring, but made no move to get up. She just sat there, the tears silently flowing. Whoever it was, she was in no condition to hold a conversation. After a few more rings, the answering machine picked it up. She heard her cheerful voice on the recording, and wanted to throw a spatula at that stupid machine as well. She heard the beep. Then there was a hesitation.

"…Hey, Sakura…It's me. Ano…I had this…bad feeling, and I…wanted to make sure you were okay…"

"H-H-Hello?"

"Sakura?"

"Hai, it's m-me," she spoke slowly, trying to sound as normal as possible after her frantic dash for the telephone.

"Sakura, daijoubu desu-ka?" She closed her eyes, pondering her answer to his question. Just hearing his voice made her feel a hundred times better. But she was still a mess. She just didn't know if she wanted to tell him.

"Ano…I'm fine, Syaoran," she replied. But she could tell that the tone of her voice was in no way convincing.

"Are you sure, Sakura?" He knew that she was lying, and he couldn't take the fact that something could make her feel as bad as what he just felt. But hearing her voice made him feel better in the fact that he knew she was alive and at home. Whether she was really safe or not was a whole different story.

"Sakura, you know that if anything is wrong, you can tell me, right? That's what friends are for, remember?" He waited for a reply, but none came.

"Sakura?" No answer. "Sakura? Are you there?"

"Hai, hai. I'm still here. Gomen. It's just that I…" A tear slid down her cheek. She tried to breathe in and out slowly to compose herself, but it just wasn't working.

"This is gonna sound so stupid to you, Syaoran. *sniff* In fact, it's too stupid for me to even bother you with…"

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Silence. "Please tell me." There was genuine concern in his voice, and she just couldn't hold it all in. He heard her sobbing gently on the other end.

"I…I have no food. *sniff* And…and my kitchen is full of smoke. And…my smoke detector is in pieces, *sob* and I yelled at Kero," she was fully crying now, but she couldn't stop herself, "and now he's gone, and everyone's gone, and I'm crying over burnt meatloaf, and I just can't stop. *sob* And I know it's stupid, and I feel even stupider telling you about it, because you, of all people, probably think this is the lamest thing in the world…"

"Sakura, I'm coming over."

Hehehe. Boy, I know you guys are totally gonna kill me for that cliffhanger. Well, this fic is turning out better than I had expected. The first half-page of this chapter just sat on my screen staring blankly back at me for a few weeks. I honestly couldn't think of anything to write. I knew that once I got going I'd be able to crank out a good three pages worth all at once, and I finally did. Sorry it took so long, but I hope you found it worth the wait. I sure did. Well, any of your questions, comments, flames, etc. are always welcome, and I'm just dying to hear from all of you! Sorry if this fic is just a teensy bit darker than my last one, but please note the title, and also, you can trust that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I know it doesn't seem too romantic now, but it will get there. Also, I'm sure that I must have majorly screwed up on the Japanese in this chapter. I'm such a wannabe. (Not to mention a loser.) Anyway, anyone who wants to help correct me, feel free! I always like learning something new. Guess that's it for now. PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks so much!